Improvement in cloth-measuring machines



'11. rac-NEILL.

.Cloth-Measuring Machines. No.156,586, Patented Nv. 3,1874.

' 'Jom /y/c/VQZ. mmm. www@ l Attorney UNITED STATES PATENT DEErcE.

JOHN MCNEILL, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTH-MEASURING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.vl56,586, dated November 3, 1874; application led July 17, 1874.

1o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MONEILL, of Sterling, in the county of Whitesides and State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Machine for Measuring Cloth, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top-plan view, the top being removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a side View. Fig. 4 is a topplan view of a modifi-cation of Fig. l.

- The nature of my invention consists in securing, in a suitable case provided with a tube through which the measuring `cord is drawn, a hanged reel, spring-guards, and a pressure-band, the whole being combined and arranged in such manner as to securely retain the cord in proper position on the reel, and which prevents the line from being thrown over the iianges of said reel, should the same be turned in the wrong direction, and which is not unfreqnentlythe case.

The construction and operation of my invention are as follows:

A is the case, which contains the reel, and may be constructed out of any suitable material. A is a tube attached to the outside of the case A, and tapers from its point of attachment to its free end. B is the reel, upon which the cord or tape is wound. This reel has its axis in the top and bottom of the case A, and is formed with `flanges b b, which eX- tend entirely around the reel for the purpose of preventing the cord or tape from slipping oit' of the same. b1 b1 are spring-guards, which are`riveted to the inside-ot' the case A. The free ends of these guards rest against the iianges b b of the reel B, in such relative position to the cord or tape as to act as brakes on the reel to prevent it from throwing otf the line when it is not drawn through the tube. b2 is a band of thin metal, each end of which is also secured to the interior of the case near where the guards b1 b1 are fastened. The center of this band passes between the anges b b, and its object is to prevent the line from being thrown oi' the reel should it be turned the' wrong way. a c are two guide-rollers, located at the point of connection between the tube A1 and the case A. O is a crank for winding up the reel. D is the cord or tape, and is marked off in colors at definite distances representing halves, quarters, or eighths of yards, or one, ve, or twenty yards, each color corresponding with the color of the in case'A, has its ends curved inthe form of a v loop, and through said loop the screwswhich connect the top and bottom of the case pass, and thus secure the band. rlhe tube Al is also slightly bent at x, and is provided with four eXtra guide-rollers, two, al al, being lo cated at the bend of the tube, and two, a2 a2, at the mouth'of the same. The tube is also provided with a hand-roller, A2. In this modification tape is used which has the yards and divisions of a yard marked on it, in which case no index-plate is required. On the ends of both the cord and tape is secured a small hook, y, for the purpose of fastening the line to the inside end of the cloth in the bolt.

To measure by my device, this hook y is fastened to the cloth and the line run oft' the reel until the color` on the cord corresponds with the color on the index-plate opposite to the number of yards required, or until the figure on the tape indicates the number of yards. y

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The case A, provided with the tube A, spring-guards b1 b1, and indexplate D', iian ged reel B, band b2, and cord D, when the whole is constructed and arranged tooperate substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

p JOHN McNEILL. Witnesses:

F. O. HEADLEY, D. BERD Rock. 

